


Tender Mercies

by esteefee



Series: Narf 'verse [6]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26691190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esteefee/pseuds/esteefee
Summary: Rodney is the world's worst patient.Written forSholio's Hold Me: a comfort promptfest. As of 09/30/2020 it's still on! Join in.
Relationships: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard
Series: Narf 'verse [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619083
Comments: 19
Kudos: 88
Collections: Hold Me: A Comfort Prompfest





	Tender Mercies

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by em-kellesvig. Thanks, cousin!

"Now, I'll only release you on the condition you don't use that hand for anything," Carson said, affixing Rodney with his beady stare. "And, of course, you must stay off that ankle. I'm not even giving you crutches until next week."

"But Carson—"

"You heard the man," John said, as if he didn't throw an armed rebellion every time he was in the infirmary, the hypocrite. In fact, Rodney practically had to tie him to their bed that time he had a broken leg.

"I'll have you know I can be the perfect patient," Rodney said. " _If_ the terms are reasonable."

"And what's unreasonable about not using a broken finger, you bloody numpty! It was a delicate reset!"

"I have four other working, usable digits on that hand," Rodney said, sniffing.

Carson growled at him, and John pulled his wheelchair away hastily.

"We'll just be going. Thanks a lot, Carson. Say 'thank you' to the nice doctor supplying your pain medication, Rodney."

"Thanks," Rodney said grudgingly. "And you did a nice job on my cast. When do I get it off?"

"We'll try the Ancient bone fuser in a week or so."

Rodney opened his mouth to protest, but John wheeled him out the door.

"What the hell? I wasn't done," Rodney said. "I can't wait a week! The conference in Les Houches is in two weeks and I need to meet with Sam to prepare!"

"You can meet up with her over video," John said, sounding smug for some reason. 

"Fine. But if we make fools of ourselves in France it will be all your fault."

John hummed. "I won't be able to live with myself." 

Rodney grumbled all the way back to their rooms and didn't let up until John had planted him on the bed with a pile of pillows and a glass of water with his medication on the side table next to his working hand. 

"Okay?" John said, curling his fingers against Rodney's cheek. "Next time, I'm checking your shoelaces before we go out."

"Ugh. Don't remind me."

John smirked and turned away. "You're a klutz, but you're my klutz."

"Bring me my computer," Rodney said, waving imperiously. 

John paused in the act of folding up his wheelchair and gave Rodney an arch look.

"Uh, please?" Rodney added.

"Nope." John shoved the wheelchair in a corner.

"'Nope'? What do you mean, nope? Give me my computer!" Rodney waved both hands now, his left hand twinging despite the heavy painkillers.

"No can do, buddy. Doctor's orders."

"Doctor Evil has his orders and I have mine. Now give me that computer!"

John came over and sat on the bed then patted Rodney's leg. "Do you want to be typing again in a week or just have Beckett resetting your bone every five minutes?"

"Point." Rodney grimaced. "But I can stick to just one hand." 

"Uh-huh."

"I'll at least give it a shot?"

John tilted his head. "And when you mess up?"

"I promise I'll be a good little patient after that."

"Uh-huh." John got up and fetched his computer, putting it in Rodney's lap. Rodney fussed, trying to sit up straighter, and John tucked another pillow behind him.

"Thanks." Rodney carefully used his good hand to bring up his laptop and started switching between mousing around and typing with one hand. He was conscious of John's 20/10 eagle-eyed stare on him, and it made him nervous, so he made some typos and had to backspace a lot, cursing inwardly the whole time. The next email was from Sam, proposing a different focal direction for their presentation, redirecting Rodney's _very_ cogent reasoning, and Rodney grew so incensed he started pounding the keyboard with his good hand.

A sudden blast of pain made him yelp, and then his keyboard disappeared.

"One strike, you're out," John said.

"No, I only forgot for a second—"

"Maybe take a nap? Most people get woozy on painkillers."

"Not me. I just get energized. Give it back."

"Hey, you promised."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'll give you a blowjob."

"You will anyway."

"I'll give you an even better blowjob!"

John's eyebrows turned into question marks. "You mean you weren't giving me your very best blowjob?" He put a hand on his chest. "I'm hurt."

"Shut up." Rodney tried to flop over but his ankle shouted at him. "Fine. Go away. Leave me in peace."

John hesitated. "You hungry? Want anything?"

"I'm going to take a nap," Rodney announced. 

"Now you're talking." John came over and gave him a buss on the cheek and then grabbed his latest golf magazine and headed to the other room.

Rodney waited. He could be patient, very patient, when necessary, and this was one of those times. John Sheppard might be a strategic genius, but Rodney McKay had sneakiness on his side.

So he waited.

He heard John flipping pages and yawning, and then the telltale snort that presaged the beginnings of an epic Sheppard nap. Rodney quietly lifted his casted foot with his good arm and eased over to the edge of the bed. He placed his good foot down and started to stand.

"Need to use the can?"

Rodney meeped and fell back on his rump. 

"Let me help you," John said, his voice oozing solicitude. "That's what I'm here for," he simpered.

This was nothing but revenge for the broken leg incident. Rodney withheld his sarcastic response and held up an arm. Turned out he really did have to piss. John helped him up and helped him three-leg his way over to the bathroom, supporting him while he pulled his dick out and did his business.

"That didn't seem like much of a nap," John said. "You want to play cards?"

"Oh, shut up."

John shuffled him over to the sink to wash his hands then back to bed. Pushing the pillows away, John eased Rodney down flat on his back and then joined him.

"What are you doing?"

John rolled on top of him and slung a leg over Rodney's thigh. "I think I'll do my watch from up close."

"Oh, my God. You're pinning me to the bed?"

"Mmm-hmm." John nuzzled under Rodney's chin, and Rodney automatically tilted his head back. It was an ingrained response and he was absolutely helpless to stop it. Or the small whimper that left his lips when John nibbled on his neck on that exact spot.

"Cheater," Rodney grouched. 

"Yep," John said. He rucked up Rodney's T-shirt and rested his hand on Rodney's stomach over his belly button. "Guilty as charged."

"I'll never escape now," Rodney said thoughtfully. 

"Nope. I'm keeping you." John sounded entirely too smug. Too bad Rodney liked him that way.

Maybe two weeks wouldn't be that long, after all.

......................................  
September 27, 2020  
San Francisco, CA


End file.
